


And So She Fell

by eldritchbirds



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: Angst, F/M, Sad, Tragedy, post cannon, trigger warning: suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-10
Packaged: 2018-01-08 05:37:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1128963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eldritchbirds/pseuds/eldritchbirds
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She was convinced that no-one cared for her, that she should just end it... And when they find her... When they cry... She doesnt know... She was always loved.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic features a suicide and characters having to deal with that. Please remember that.

Jackie felt a lump form in her throat, the chill of the night air stinging her skin lightly as she sat atop the Water Tower, hands balled into fists inside the sleeves of her pink sweater. She pulled the wool further up her neck, and buried into it's warmth. She looks over the edge, and something hot and wet tracks its way down her cheek. She looks over at the calmly twinkling lights of the innocently smothering town. Snow flutters down, Jackie hears a car horn honk in the distance and she starts. No-one usually catches her up here, it was peaceful and a tad scary.

"That's what I get." Jackie's voice was dry and cracked, her throat sore. Her heart hammers as she comprehends what she had decided to do; what she had to do. Her breathing was painfully fast, her throat; painfully dry, her eyes; painfully wet, her heart; painfully broken.

And she felt the caress of cold night air whipping through her hair, just as it had when she kissed Fez. She didn't love Fez, she never could have.

And she felt the caress of cold night air whipping through her hair, just as it had when she kissed Fez. Wishing it was Steven that was kissing her.

And she felt the caress of cold night air whipping through her hair, just as it had when she kissed Fez, her thoughts focused on Steven, pretending it was him she was kissing instead. That it wasn't Fez's unidentified cologne blocking her senses, that it was Steven's familiar, warm, wooden scent, musky and smoky. That it wasn't Fez's unevenly chapped hands wrapped around her waist, that it was Steven's calloused hands holding her close, like he used to.

And she felt the slashing of cold night air like she had never felt it before. She was falling, her thighs edging off of the cold metal of the ledge, her head ducking under the banister; the rickety old banister. She thought of how many times Michael had fallen off here, and always survived. Then she thought of the one time Charlie had fallen off, ending his young life in one quick crack.

She wonder which of the fates would befall her; she hoped it was the latter.

She couldn't live in a world without Steven hugging her, holding her, calling her his Grasshopper. But she knew he never would.

And so she fell...


	2. How Do You React to This?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news hits hard and painfully.

There was silence. Silence and endless internal panic.

"I'm sorry Miss Pinciotti, I know this news must be quite shocking, but we have to notify the family of the victim." The police officer at Donna's door watched as the redhead stood still, her eyes glazed over. Her breathing was sharp and shallow and a high-pitched whine emanated from her throat, building in volume until she was screaming.

"You're lying!" She cried, her eyes wide. She wouldn't cry, not in front of a police officer, not in front of a lying police officer. She ran past him, across to the Forman household. She slammed the screen door open, scaring Kitty, Red and Hyde who stood, following the Pinciotti girl. Hyde found Donna curled up in a ball beneath Mr and Mrs Forman's sheet, crying.

"Donna, man, what's wrong?" He asked, softly. Donna just whimpered, balling her fists in the sheets, pulling them tighter around herself.

"St-Steven, honey... P...please come down here." Hyde could hear that Mrs Forman was crying and walked down the stairs. He immediately saw the police officer at the door and his first thought was ' _Well this is is it. They've caught me_.' The second thing to catch his attention was Kitty's eyes, bright red, tears threatening to flow. She was sniffling and wringing her hands together as Red wrapped his arm tightly around her. The thing that told him this was something bigger was Red. The unflappable Red Forman looked terrified, his eyes glazed over, his breathing too calm, as if he was conciously moderating it.

"What... Happened?" He asked, slowly. Mrs Forman burst into tears, clutching at Red for dear life, sobbing loudly. Red had a look of despair, a look that said there was so many things he wanted to do with his life.

"Sit down, son." He whispered. Hyde frowned slightly, telling Mrs Forman that Donna was currently hiding beneath the covers of her bed. Mrs Forman trailed up the stairs, sobbing the whole way. "I don't blame her." Red told him.

"Ok, what the hell is going on here?" Hyde asked, a frown on his face as he sat down. Red sat beside him, as did the officer.

"Steven Hyde?" The officer asked, looking grave.

"Yeah, just tell me what happened." Hyde snapped. The officer took a deep breath, composing himself.

"We're sorry to inform you that there has been a death near the Point Place water tower. A suicide." Hyde's heart stopped as the officer said his next sentence. "The body has been identified as Jacqueline Burkhart." Everything slowed down for Hyde.

"What?" He said, he hissed, he snarled at the officer. The officer looked as though he was in pain, having to deliver such crushing news.

"Jacqueline Beulah Burkhart is dead." The officer told him, quietly. It took Hyde a few moments to get back into gear, starting with knocking the policeman out cold with a single punch. He stormed past Red, who simply sat there, shocked by the news, into the living room. He picked up the phone, dialling Fez's number.

"Yes?" Fez drawled across the line.

"Get to the Forman household now." Hyde spat.

"But why? Fez has a glass of warm milk and a cookie and is going to candy land." Fez whined.

"I said now!" Growled Hyde. Fez agreed, albeit a bit exasperatedly, but he would be here soon. Kelso was the only other one. He was staying at the Le Motel with Betsy and Brooke, it wasn't that far away so Hyde dialled the motel and got put through to Kelso's room.

"What?" Kelso's sleepy voice greeted him.

"Get to the Formans'." Hyde told him.

"Man, no I got my baby and my lady I don't wanna drink beer and get high with you." Kelso sighed. Hyde was about to yell at him, however he thought differently.

"Please, its important." He murmured. Kelso paused, sounding more alert when he responded.

"What happened?" He asked.

"I don't want to talk about it over the phone." Hyde sighed.

"I'll be there as soon as possible." Kelso told him. Hyde hung up, sighing heavily. He pulled off hos shades, looking at them before he hung them on his shirt collar and trudging into the kitchen.

"You look... Ok." Red notes. Hyde smirks, shaking his head.

"Yeah, I don't know what it is, man. Probably shock..." He sighed. He knew what it was like, to experience something but not react to it, he knew that was happening. There was chaos around him, and he was numb. He grabbed a beer from the refrigerator and slowly climbed the stairs. He joined Mrs Forman and Donna, sitting in a chair in the corner of the room. Donna rested her head on Mrs Forman's chest as Mrs Forman quietly singing lullabies to Donna, stroking her hair, every other line whimpered as Donna's silent tears shon on her face.

Slowly the other three trailed in, first Fez, then Kelso who was closely followed by Mr Forman. The othe other two and lost. When they were delivered the news, both froze. Fez collapsed, lying on the floor, unsure of what to do or how to react. Kelso cried silently, .crumpling as he kicked off his shoes and crawled into the bed beside Mrs Forman, closing his eyes and leaning his head against her shoulder, pain and grief very evident on his face.

They stayed like that for a while, Red standing, eyes glazed over in the door frame, Fez crumpled on the ground in the middle of the room, Donna lay with her head on Kittys chest, who stroked her hair with one hand and whose other hand held Michael's, both sets of knuckles turning white with intensity.

Hyde sat in the corner, sipping his beer, until it occured to him.

She was gone.

Forever

There could be no ' _oh, she's just run off to Chicago_ '.

Her beautiful laugh.

Her beautiful everything.

Her perfect mix of Zen and Sass.

His grasshopper was gone. He knew it was his fault.

She loved him. He loved her. He was too proud to take her back.

He loved her.

He. Loved. Her.

He put his head in his hands, his whole body shaking.

"Are you going to announce its a lie? That its a conspiracy by the government?" Fez's voice is deadpan and devoid of hope or humour.

"No. Jackie wouldn't do this." Hyde said, firmly, fears briming in his eyes. He knew because he loved her.

"What are you going to do then?" Fez asked. Hyde looked up, no longer smiling.

"I don't know." His following sigh was shaky. "For now, I'm just going to cry."


End file.
